Ed. Note: The following paid content was provided by Home Care Services Santa Clarita, who is a client of KHTS AM-1220.

The holiday season has begun, and as you start planning family gatherings, you may find yourself reflecting on all for which you are thankful. Perhaps your family, friends, health and even living in a great community like Santa Clarita will come to mind. And, as you reflect, it’s also a good time to look ahead.

As a society, we tend to think a lot about retirement planning. How is your 401k doing? Will social security provide you with a sufficient income safety net when you leave the work force? Will you be able to enjoy “the good life” in your retirement years?

But there’s another side to our need to plan: What is your plan if you, a spouse, a parent or other loved one needs long-term care?

While it’s important to plan how you’ll serve your community as a volunteer or work on your golf game in the years after you retire, it’s also important to plan for the “what if” scenarios, including a need for long-term care.

Related: Home Care Services Santa Clarita Forming Family Caregiver Support Groups

You and your family might not need specific insurance to cover your long-term care needs, but you certainly need a plan.

If you, your spouse, one of your parents or another loved one require long-term care, how will it be provided, and who will be responsible for it? What are your potential needs?

It’s an issue that affects almost every family at one time or another. The number of people requiring long-term care is projected to increase from 15 million in 2000 to 27 million in 2050, according to a 2013 study by the National Center for Health Statistics.

The increase is due largely to the surge in population of older Americans, already under way now as the youngest Baby Boomers reach retirement age.

The NCHS study adds, “Finding a way to pay for long-term care services is a growing concern for older adults, persons with disabilities and their families, and is a major challenge facing state and local governments.”

There are many aspects of long-term care that need to be taken into account, too. For example:

• Will you or your loved one require trained, professional in-home care?
• Will assistance be needed with daily tasks, like shopping, housekeeping, grooming and hygiene, etc.?
• Will technology and equipment be needed to facilitate mobility or other aspects of life at home?
• What is the proper diet to promote your loved one’s mental and physical health?
• How will family members handle the caregiver role, and what assistance and support will be available to them?
• Is the family financially prepared for the “what if” of long-term care?

Many of us are already caring for a loved one, and need to address these questions now.

It might be a good time to seek the assistance of a professional home care services provider that can answer your “what now?” questions, and provide you with the support, resources and even training you’ll need to make sure your loved one receives proper care, and that your own needs aren’t lost in the shuffle.

Those not yet caring for a loved one may see it as something to be dealt with “someday.” The reality is, “someday” will come for the majority of us, and in increasing numbers over the next several decades.

It’s never too early to start planning for it, so that when the time comes and long-term care is required, you’ll be as well-prepared as you can be, regardless of whether you are the caregiver or the one needing care.

Here, too, professional home care service providers can provide valuable answers and help you create your strategy for long-term care.

When the “what if” turns into “what now,” you’ll be thankful that you planned ahead.

Rick Ferrante is founder and president of Home Care Services Santa Clarita, which provides information, resources, training and other services for home caregivers.

Home Care Services Santa Clarita

23340 Cinema Drive, Suite 5

Santa Clarita, CA 91355

661-412-0710